SPUR-WING LAPV/ING 207 



trees and bushes, and on the sHghtest cause flies up 

 high in the air and away to a great distance — often 

 quite out of sight. Meanwhile, the other species, 

 which inhabits and breeds in the same thickets, not 

 only keeps its place, but appears to be in the same 

 temper as at other times of the year. It sits as always 

 on the top of a bush, trilling out a few notes from 

 time to time, then listening to the notes of its neigh- 

 bours, then singing again, and again listening. Yet 

 we know that many individuals of this sedentary 

 species of a placid temper do migrate to North 

 Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. We may say, then, 

 that this Patagonian mocking-bird has a migration 

 similar to that of our song-thrush and red-breast. 

 These two species are resident with us, but we know 

 that a very large number do migrate, crossing the 

 Channel on their passage, but whether many or few 

 return we do not know. 



Another instance is that of the spur-wing lapwing 

 of the pampas. It is a non-migrant, and no bird is 

 more strongly attached to its home — to the portion 

 of ground it lives on, and of which it is so jealous that 

 it furiously attacks and drives away other lapwings 

 and even plover, or other species that venture to 

 trespass on it. Winter and summer, they occupy 

 the same ground. I have known a pair of these birds 

 that occupied and bred on the same spot year after 

 year, and when the ground was enclosed with a wire 

 fence and ploughed they refused to quit, but laid 

 the eggs in a furrow, and after the harrowing which 

 destroyed the first eggs, they laid again, to lose their 



